Apparatus for cutting sheet glass



Nov. 18-, 1941.

w; F. BROWN ET AL 2,988

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING SHEET GLASS lnnentors WILBU? F-I DAOWN. Q/OHN L.. DRAKE.

attorney Nov. 18, 1941. w. F. BROWN ETAL 2,262,988

APPARATUS FOR CUTT ING SHEET GLASS Filed Oct. ,4, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Snnentors W/LBUF F BEOWN.

QJOHN L. DRAKE.

M (Ittomeg Nov. 18, 1941. W,'F ROWN ETA I 2,262,988

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING SHEET GLASS Filed om. 4, 1957 3 Sheeis-Sheet 5 Snnentors WILBU? F. BEOWN- QIOHN L. DRAKE.

attorney Patented Nov. 18, 1941 Wilbur F. Brown and John L. Drake, Toledo, Ohio, assignors to Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 4, 1937, Serial No. 167,200

' 4 Claims. (01. 49-14) The present invention relates broadly to the the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same: I

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through one form of apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectional view through a portion of the cutting mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of two complemental cutting elements;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the continuous ribbon of glass after it has been cut;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the glass tiles; I

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing another form of cutting apparatus; 7

Fig. 'I is a sectional view taken substantially on line 1-1 of Fig. 6 showing the means for cutting the ribbon ofglass to the desired width;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the cutting elements for cutting the glass ribbon transversely; v

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of an apparatus for forming individual sheets of glass;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the cutting of the sheet formed by the apparatus of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a detail view of a portion of the cutting means illustrated-in Figs. 10 and 11; and

Fig. 13 is a view showing the transfer of the cut sheet into an annealing leer.

With reference to that form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the numeral l5 designates the outlet end of a continuous tank furnace in which is produced a mass of molten glass IS. The exit end wall ll of the furnace is provided with a horizontal slot [8 through which 'bon of glass 24 as it passes thereover.

the molten glass is adapted to flow in the form of a relatively heavy stream I9, the thickness of which may be controlled by a vertically adjustable gate 20. The stream of molten glass l9 flows from the furnace over a slab 2| to and between a pair of rotatable forming rolls 22 and- 23 which function to reduce the stream of glass to a sheet or ribbon 24 of predetermined uniform thickness. The glass ribbon: upon leaving the forming rolls 22 and 23, is received and carried forwardly upon a horizontal endless conveyor table 25 and during its travel over said table,.the ribbon of glass is adapted to be cut into relatively. small tiles by the cutting mechanism mounted above the conveyor table 25 and designated in its entirety by the numeral '26. After being cut, the glass ribbon 24 passes from the table 25 over an inclined chute 21 into an annealing leer 28 through which it may be carried upon an endless conveyor 29 or in any other desired manner.

The conveyor table 25 may be of any preferred construction but as here shown consists of a plurality of supporting elements or blocks 30 pivbeing supported upon horizontal rails 34. The

supporting elements or blocks 30 are of such construction and so arranged that the-upper horizontal run of the tablewill provide a continuous, flat and unbroken surface for supporting the rib- One of the sprockets 32 or 33 may be positively driven to drive the endless conveyor table in a direction to advance the glass ribbon forwardly.

As the ribbon of glass is carried forwardly by the endless conveyor table, the cutting mechanism26 is adapted to automatically die-cut or stamp therefrom a series of successive tiles 35 of predetermined dimensions as shown in Fig. 4. This is accomplished by cutting the glass ribbon both longitudinally and transversely, said ribbon being cut longitudinally along the lines 36. and 31 to give a strip corresponding to the width of tile desired and also transversely along lines 38 belt formation. More shame-my; each cutting element 40 is of substantially'channel shape comprising the opposite side walls 42 and 43 anda transverse rear wall 44, eachv of saidwalls being formed. at its outer end with -a cutting edge 45. The opposite or inner ends of theside walls 42 and 43 are each provided with the laterally projecting ears 46 and,4| h'avlng'.transverse open ings therethrough for the reception of pivot pins 48 by means of which the cutting elements are 'pivotally connected together; Eaohcutting' element 4| also comprises the opposite sidewalls 48 and Wand transverse. rearwall 5| whionare formed at theirouter ends; with cutting-edges 5;; The opposite or innerj endsof thesideand-rear walls 49, 50 andtl y-oi he cutting elementgare formed integralhwith horizontal bodyiiportion isprovided with the 1 spaced transverse bearing= portions 54 andgfiihaving openings therethroughv also forth? reception of] the Divotpins' j I a s b esi cutti g el s "a d J- the u sia s fl isj' s o ed w h in men .4 yin tifis'l-the" a e it mi of element-4 'be'tween';the "ears4.1 ofgelement the cutting-element stantiall e e t itl.v n, nt-ma .m wm of 'eleizi'entv 4| between-tn element rand passin the aligned openings'inithe ears" as and bearing" p rtlo jss; The rear wan. u or the .cutting;ele'-- ment thenalso-beoomesthe .front wall oi! the cutting element 4|. The'fassemblin'g"of the cutting elements 40 and-41in. this mannerisjcontinned. until an end ess: cutting mechanism of. suitable length is provided as shown, at '25f 'in Fig. -1, saidendless cuttingpmeohanism being 1-tra1ned"ati"the opposite ends of its. loop about. sprockets 56 and Shane of which is adapted'to beppositlvelydriven in such a manner' tliat the lowerhorizontal run of the cutting mechanism 26 will .travelin the sam' direction as the ribbon K operation, as the contimidusrlbbon ,ofjglass 4 is'jc'arried forwardly uponthe conveyor table 25, the endless cutting mechanism 26; moving therewith, is adapted toautomatically die-cut or stamp-from said ribbon in series of successive tiles t l 'theside walls- 42 and 43 of cutting elements 40 and side .walls' 49 and fil'ot cutting elements 4| making'the longitudinal cuts--36 and 31in Fig. 4, while the rear walls. and SI of tee cutting elements 40 and 4| respectively will make the transverse'cuts' 38 and '39. The cutting mechanism functions to sever the hot plastic ribbonoi' 'glass by' cutting substantially complete: ly therethrough asshow'n in 'Fig. 2. The'g'lass ribbon, aiter'being cut, ispassed over the chute fl'into'and through theannealing leer 28 wherein th glass is adapted to. be suitably annealed and'cooled as well-known in the art. The-tiles I! can then be readily broken out of the glass iibbon-alongthe lines of ou and the edges thereof ground and/or polished as may be found desirable. .1 With the cutting apparatus above de scribed, tiles of uniform, predetermined dimenw sions-can be rapidly,efliciently, and economically cutfroma continuously moving ribbon of hot plastic glass. 2-

With'reterence now to that form otthe invention illustrated in of molten glass lfi also flows'ffrom 15- through a slot [8 in the 'end wall;

"wardly outw-of the path of travel o fthe strip 55 as indicated at 84. a I

Theicontin'uousstrip of glass'65 then'passes onto: the'endlessconv'eyor table 2 5 and is adapted'f'to'jcut transversely while being carried forwardly uponsaid table by.means of theendless cutting {mechanism- 66 mounted thereabove. The cnttinglmechanis'm 66 is made up of a plurality oif cutting elements 61 pivotally associated with one another in endless belt formation. Each cuttingel'e'mentil comprises a body portion 68 provided with a pair of transverse; cutting blades 69- and glll. each-beihgio'rmed at its outer end with-:a- 'cuttingedge II. The cutting elements Ii'li'arepitaitally connected together by 12 and-pivot pins 13 which pass transversely throughthe' overlapping portions of said cutting elements and links. Asufflcient'number of cutting elements are used to give an-vendless cutting mechanismtfi of the desired length and which may be trained at the opposite ends of its loop about sprockets 14.- The width of the cutblades Stand 10 is equal to or slightly greater than the width of the glass strip 65'so that asthe strip isbeing carried'forwardly upon the conveyor table 25, the cutting mechanism BB'wilIserve tosever it transversely into a plurality 'of' tile's."i

--Although it is preferred that the tiles be cut from aoontinuous ribbon or strip of glass as described above, they can be formed from individual sheets of glass as illustrated in Figs. 9 tov l3 if desired. "Thus, there is shown inFig. 9 acastingtable l5- upon which a body of molten glass [6 is reduced, by means of aroller I1 toa sheet 18- of' predetermined'uniform thickness. The glass sheetv 18 can then be cut into tiles upon the.- casting table 15 or it may be transferred, while still hot and-plastic, to a second table. forcutting. As shown in-Fig.'10, the glass sheet 18, while in a-hot plastic state, is adapted to be first out into a plurality of longitudinal strips 19 by the cutting apparatus 80, after which, as shown in Fig. '11, the strips 19 are adapted to be cut transversely by the cutting apparatus 8| to form tiles 82-of the proper dimensions. The glass sheet is then adapted to be transferred intothe annealing leer 84 passing from the table 15 into said leer over an inclined chute 83. After the glass sheet has been annealed and cooled, the tiles 82 can be readily broken therefrom.

The cutting apparatus 80 and 8| comprises a plurality of spaced cutting discs 85 carried by a sleeve 86 mounted upon a shaft 81 which may be suitably supported and driven. The table 15 may be maintained stationary and the cutting apparatus moved thereover or the said cutting apparatus may be mounted in a fixed position and the table moved therebeneath. The manner in which the cutting discs 85 serve to sever the hot plastic glass sheet is clearly shown in Fig. 12.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for cutting sheet glass in a hot plastic condition both longitudinally and transversely to form tiles of predetermined dimensions, a plurality of rectangular cutting elements pivotally associated with one another in endless formation, each cutting element comprisingopposite side Walls and a transverse rear wall formed at their outer ends with cutting edges and the rear wall of one element positioned to form the front wall of the adjacent rearward element when a plurality of said elements are arranged in cutting position.

2. In apparatus for cutting sheet glass in a hot plastic condition both longitudinally and transversely to form tiles of predetermined dimensions, a plurality of cutting elementspivotally associated with one another in endless formation, each cutting element having transversely spaced longitudinal cutting edges and a single transverse cutting edge, whereby said transverse cutting edge cooperates with the longitudinal cutting edges of an adjacent cutting element and forms a common transverse out between two adjacent tiles.

3. In apparatus'for cutting sheet glass in a hot plastic condition both longitudinally and transversely to form tiles of predetermined (li mensions, a plurality of cutting elements pivotally mounted in endless formation and each having transversely spaced longitudinal cutting edges and a single transverse cutting edge, said cutting elements being associated with one another ,in such a manner that the longitudinal cutting edges thereof cooperate to sever the sheet along continuous longitudinal lines while the transverse cutting edges sever the sheet along spaced transverse lines common to two adjacent tiles.

4. In apparatus for cutting sheet glass in a hot plastic condition both longitudinally and transversely to form substantially rectangular tiles of predetermined dimensions, a plurality of rectangular cutting elements pivotally associated with one another in endless formation, each cutting element having two transversely spaced cutting edges for cutting the glass ribbon longitudinally and a third transverse cutting edge for cutting the glass ribbon transversely, the third transverse cutting edge of one cutting element cooperating with the three cutting edges of an adjacent cutting element to cut out a substantially rectangular tile from the glass ribbon when said cutting elements are arranged in cutting position.

WILBUR F. BROWN. JOHN L. DRAKE. 

